Jakarta – The latest presidential debate on Jan. 7 saw probably the most ill-tempered argument between candidates for the highest office so far. And unlike in the first debate last month, when the three rivals mingled and shook hands with each other after the show, the event on Sunday witnessed Prabowo Subianto and Anies Baswedan avoid this customary practice.

Worse, instead of calling for a cooling down, the candidates and their campaign teams have deliberately kept the hostile atmosphere brewing with their inflammatory comments, which if escalated may stoke hatred among supporters at the grass roots.

No less a figure than President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has expressed his disappointment with Sunday's debate, which he said was far from "educational" for voters as it had allowed the candidates to focus on "personal attacks". Jokowi claimed he was referring to all three presidential candidates, but given his gestures signaling his favoritism to Prabowo, many believe the President was defending his defense minister.

Indeed, Prabowo, who has consistently led his two contenders by a big margin in opinion polls, came under constant attacks from both Anies and Ganjar Pranowo both in the first and third debates. While it remains to be seen whether the presidential debates will sway voters, both Anies and Ganjar have no option but to make Prabowo look bad in order to close the gap before the decision day on Feb. 14.For Prabowo, being on the receiving end is a consequence of his choice to build an alliance with Jokowi, who defeated him in the 2014 and 2019 elections. Prabowo is thus representing the status quo, he has to prove he deserves the command baton that Jokowi will hand over in October.

Prabowo has been building a new image through his gemoy (adorable) campaign in place of the short temper he was previously known for. But his evidently emotional responses to certain questions from his rivals in the two televised debates have sent a message to the public that he has barely changed. Or perhaps he disliked the questions simply because he was unprepared for such an offensive, which he could have neutralized with the support of convincing data.

It is imperative for all candidates to maintain their composure even in such a heated argument. Not only will remaining calm allow them to communicate their thoughts and ideas more clearly, but also help them create an environment where tension and conflict can be avoided.

Emotional outbursts, on the contrary, can lead to misunderstandings. They may also cloud judgment and result in impulsive choices that may not be in the best interest of such a diverse nation as Indonesia.

A closer look at the first and third debates gives us the impression that Prabowo and Anies hold grudges, which comes as no surprise because they were on the same side in the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2017 and the presidential election in 2019. The alliance crumbled after Prabowo agreed to join the grand coalition that formed the Jokowi government after the bitterly contested race five years ago.

As Kennedy Muslim of Indikator Politik Indonesia survey institute put it, Prabowo deems Anies his biggest threat, given that they share similar supporter bases. The danger will be even greater for Prabowo if Anies makes it to the run-off and can lure many of Ganjar's supporters or those who are upset by Jokowi's "act of betrayal".

Just for the record, Anies beat then-incumbent Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for the Jakarta gubernatorial post in 2017 partly because many voted for Anies just to prevent Ahok, who was Jokowi's choice, from winning.

However, whatever motives lie behind the candidates' desire to win the race, they had better refrain from fueling the fire through their remarks, let alone incitement, against their opponents. The candidates, as well as the political elites backing them, should instead promote peace and keep their grassroots supporters calm.

After all, elections are defined as a festival of democracy, where people can exercise their rights in a free and fair manner.

Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2024/01/12/dont-fuel-the-fire.htm